Shock
by Jynx999
Summary: The aftermath of Ethan finding out about his adoption. Possible spoilers included.


Ethan stood, speechless, he felt as if someone had just hit him full force in the chest knocking all of the air out of it. A thousand questions flew through his mind so quick he couldn't vocalise any of them. He was snapped back into reality when the curtain of the cubical was pulled open behind him.

"Everything ok in here?" Charlie asked before he took in the scene in front of him.

Cal sitting with red eyes and a tear running down his cheek, Emilie staring at Ethan gripping Cal's hand as much as she could and Ethan standing frozen although his body seemed to be swaying ever so slightly.

"Ah…" Charlie sighed as he quickly assessed the situation. "Ethan do you want a seat?"

"I'm not staying." Ethan mumbled as he tore his eyes away from his 'mother' and left the cubicle at exceptional speed.

"He hates me…" Cal shook his head. "He will never forgive me for this."

"It's not you he needs to forgive son." Emilie told him.

"He will need to time to process all this, as you did Cal. It's a big shock." Charlie explained to them both. "Cal, you're needed in resus. Emilie needs to rest. I will go after Ethan."

Cal nodded as leg go of Emilie's hand as he wiped his eyes and got to his feet heading through to resus and taking over from Lily who's shift had finished.

Charlie on the other hand took it upon himself to track down the younger doctor and ensure he was alright.

…

Ethan was sat in the peace garden, his usual go-to place when he needed to escape. He wasn't paying attention to anything going on around him, only him and his thoughts were present. Until he felt he wasn't alone anymore and noticed Charlie had sat down beside him on the bench.

"I know this will have come as a shock, I can't begin to imagine how you are feeling right now but your brother had your best interests at heart the whole time. He only tracked her down so that he knew you two were definitely related." Charlie spoke.

"I deserved to know as soon as he did. This should have been something we did together." Ethan spoke. "I hate him for this. I actually hate him Charlie."

"Hate is a strong word…" Charlie winced.

"Is it!? Well I am sorry but it is what I feel towards him, and her, and my Mum. How horrendous does that sound? I hate my mother…" Ethan shook his head slowly.

"You're in shock, it's normal. You will think more clearly when this all sinks in." Charlie reassured him.

"Dr Hardy, they need you in resus now!" Louise shouted from the ED doors.

Ethan sprung to his feet and ran in through the hospital doors and into resus to see his brother performing CPR on a young teenage boy. Consciously putting his professional head on Ethan pulled on his gloves.

"What have we got?" Ethan spoke sharply.

"15 year old male, hit by a drunk driver at approximately 60mph, hasn't regained consciousness, crashed about twenty minutes ago. Possible abdo bleed." Cal reeled off noticing Ethan wasn't even making eye contact.

"Ok, adrenaline please and let's continue CPR. Can we had to fast scanner on standby please. Has he had a chest x-ray?" Ethan asked.

"Still waiting on it." Cal told him.

"Right.." Ethan sighed as a nurse who had been chasing the imagine walked through with an ipad. "Most of his ribs are broken on his left side. Quite possible pneumothorax, possibly even hit his heart. Um… can someone do a set of neuro obs on him please?"

Cal continued to compress the young lad's chest but to no avail.

The nurse who had done his obs stepped back and shook her head.

"Both pupils blown, no output for over half an hour now." Cal sighed. "Are we all agreed?"

Everyone nodded including Ethan. "Time of death, 23:17, thank you everyone. Can someone contact the next of kin please."

Both brother's exited resus together both feeling defeated.

"Too young…" Cal sighed.

"Idiot drink drivers. Waste of a life." Ethan agreed momentarily forgetting his anger.

"Look Ethan…" Cal started.

"I don't want to hear it Caleb." Ethan shook his head and went to walk away.

"No Ethan, listen to me." Cal followed him into the staffroom.

"I don't want to listen to whatever to have to say again Cal." His younger brother opened his locker door.

"I didn't want to hurt you Ethan, I only found out because of the paternity results. I only tracked down Emilie so I could find out if you were too." Cal explained.

"You found that out yet still failed to share the news." Ethan laughed slightly.

"She is ill Ethan, we've watched one mother die. It was hard to tell you we would have to do it all over again." Cal pleaded.

"We watched her die?" Ethan asked. "You saw her twice when she was ill Caleb. I deserved to know, even for the sake of the Huntington's Caleb. How can you be so selfish?"

"Selfish? Ethan I was protecting you from going through what I was." Cal told him.

"Protecting me?" Ethan raised his eyebrows.

"Yes!" Cal spoke.

"No Cal! This is about you! It is always about you!" Ethan shouted getting into his face.

Cal scoffed and shook his head. This only angered Ethan more and he lunged for his brother resulting in Cal's fist colliding with Ethan's face and Ethan kneeing Cal in the stomach winding him and punching him sending him flying out of the staffroom door and onto the floor.

"Woah!" Charlie heard the commotion and saw Cal go flying and ran over to help.

He glanced through to open door to see Ethan hunched over and breathing hard. He helped Cal to his feet ensuring he was ok before going to Ethan.

"Alright? Come and take a seat." Cal guided him over to the sofa and sat him down. "Are you hurt?"

Ethan shook his head as his breathing remained uneven, Charlie knelt in front of the young doctor to realise his unusual was not caused by injury but infect by the fact he was crying and desperately trying to hide it.

"Ok, you stay here and take 5 to cool off. I will come back soon." Charlie rubbed his shoulder and went to the door where Cal was stood licking his bleeding lip.

"Is he ok?" Cal spoke quietly receiving a nod from Charlie before being lead away.

"No prizes for guessing what that was about." Charlie sighed. "He is upset, understandably. Give him space, he will come round."

 **Was just going to be a oneshot but it's now after midnight so I think I best make it a two parter. Let me know what you think should happen next. J x**


End file.
